1. Field of the Invention
The subject invention relates to an adjustable pedal assembly used in an automotive vehicle to vary the operating position of one or more of the foot pedals to mechanically or electrically control various vehicle systems, such as the clutch, brake and throttle systems.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Typically, adjustable pedal assemblies have used direct current electrical motors to rotate a drive cable that, in turn, rotates a worm gear to adjust the position of the pedal. Examples of such assemblies are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,632,183; 5,697,260; 5,722,302 and 5,964,125 to Rixon et al, 3,643,524 to Herring, 4,875,385 to Sitrin, 4,989,474 to Cicotte et al and 5,927,154 to Elton et al. Other assemblies eliminate the cable and connect the worm gear more directly to a pedal lever, as illustrated in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,205,883 to Bortolon and 6,151,984 to Johansson et al. In order to stay within cost limitations, these assemblies require a relatively large number of parts, are noisy and imprecise in output. They also present difficult packaging parameters.
Strict standards have been developed in regard to the position of the brake pedal relative to the position of the accelerator pedal. Some assemblies address this requirement by using one motor to drive the adjustment of both pedals, as shown in the aforementioned U.S. Pat. No. 5,722,302.
The subject invention provides an adjustable pedal assembly comprising a support for mounting the assembly to a vehicle structure. A first pedal lever is pivotally supported for rotation about an operational axis relative to the support and a second pedal lever is pivotally supported for rotation about another operational axis relative to the support. A first adjustment mechanism interconnects the support and the first pedal lever and includes a first motor for adjusting the operational position of the first pedal lever between a first plurality of adjusted positions relative to the support. A second adjustment mechanism interconnects the support and the second pedal lever and includes a second motor for adjusting the operational position of the second pedal lever relative to the support. A controller is programmed to operate the first and second motors to simultaneously move the first and second pedal levers between the adjusted positions. The controller is also programmed to detect a stall of each of the motors. The assembly is characterized by the controller having a coordinator for automatically repositioning at least one of the motors to a corrected position in response to a stall by at least one of the motors thereby repositioning at least one of the pedal levers relative to the other to maintain a predetermined relationship between the pedal levers.
Accordingly, the subject invention provides an adjustable pedal assembly that reduces the total number of parts while providing a quieter and more precise and controllable adjustment.